On Nov. 29, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced his support for the expansion of state Medicaid rolls allowed under the federal Affordable Care Act — a move that would see about 300,000 uninsured Missourians become eligible for coverage.
Under ACA, states may expand Medicaid coverage — administered in Missouri by MoHealthNet — to include people making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, equal to about $31,809 for a family of four. Under the ACA expansion, the federal government would pay 100 percent of costs from 2014 to 2016. In 2017, the state would be required to provide 5 percent in matching funds, with the state’s share increasing through 2020 when it would top out at 10 percent. Overall, the state would incur a cost of about $330 million over six years.
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